With the undefeated O'Brien Award winner Wheeling N Dealin scheduled to make his highly anticipated sophomore debut Saturday evening at Mohawk Racetrack, his baby sister continued to prep for her own racing career in qualifying action this morning over the Campbellville, Ontario oval.
The Mike Keeling-trained Wheely Quick romped to a dominant seven-length victory in 1:59.4 with Paul MacDonell in the sulky. Making her second qualifying start, the brown filly pulled the pocket after the :30-second opening panel and led the way through middle splits of 1:00.4 and 1:30 before drawing off with a :29.4 final quarter.
The daughter of Conway Hall out of Grand Circuit stakes winner Quick Credit ($553,113, 1:56), is a half-sister to Wheeling N Dealin ($683,544, 1:55) and Ontario Sires Stakes Gold champion Sugar Wheeler ($354,501, 1:55.3). She was purchased at the Harrisburg Sale as a yearling for $70,000 by P C Wellwood Enterprises Inc. of Cambridge, Ont. and New York co-owners Alan Hainsworth, William Weaver III, and Kelley Racing Stable LLC.
The connections of Wheeling N Dealin -- driver Sylvain Filion, trainer Dustin Jones and Montreal owner Ecuries Synergie -- sent out the debuting trotting colt Whichamacallit, who sat mid-pack for most of the mile before kicking home :29.2 to win by nearly six lengths in 2:03.4. The $75,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase is a son of Deweycheatumnhowe and out of Won An Done, a half-sister to S J Caviar ($1,288,466, 1:53.4).
Les Posan's Next Kash converted off a pocket trip to win his second qualifier in 2:03.3 (:30.4 final quarter) to top the trotting colts. Mike Saftic drove the Muscle Mass-Soignee Kash colt.
Pacing colt Ideal Jet posted the fastest winning time of the day in his second qualifier for driver Phil Hudon and trainer Craig Barrs. The Jeremes Jet-Ashlees Luck colt left from the outside post six and cruised through fractions of :30.2, :59.4 and 1:29 en route to a 1:56.4 neck victory over the Roger Mayotte-trained Rural Art (Major In Art-W C Betina), who posted the quickest closing quarter of the day when kicking home from a two-hole trip in :27.3. Barrs and Waterloo's Nurko Sokolovic bred and shares ownership of Ideal Jet, a half-brother to 2011 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Championship runner-up Stolen Car ($317,319, 1:49.3).
Happily Ever After was the the fastest of the fillies, winning her second qualifier in 1:57.1 for driver Doug McNair and trainer Tony O'Sullivan. The Well Said-Lets Imagine filly advanced from third to take over command in the stretch and held off the Jeff Gillis-trained Life Is A Beach (Somebeachsomewhere-Caitlin Q) by half a length with a :28.1 final frame. Happily Ever After was a $55,000 Harrisburg Sale yearling purchase for Osullivan Racing Inc. of Cambridge and Kirk McKinnon of Brampton, Ont.
Palm Beach Hanover won her second straight qualifier in 1:57.2. Scott Zeron sent the filly first over from fourth and she widened her leading margin to more than five lengths with a :28.3 final quarter. The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere is out of Pilgrims Witchie, who is a half-sister to Los Angeles, the dam of 2012 North America Cup champion Thinking Out Loud ($1,282,781, 1:47.4). Palm Beach Hanover, purchased for $62,000 at the Harrisburg Sale, is owned by her trainer David Menary along with Bruce Norris of Caledon East and Hewvilla Farms Inc. of Mount Forest, Ont.
Mohawk Racetrack hosted a total of 10 baby races during its Saturday session with other winners including pacing colts Krome Wheels (Badlands Hanover-Dorothy Lamatt) in 1:58.4 and the debuting Smack Talk (Cams Card Shark-Chippie Gabby) in 2:01.2; pacing filly Bad To The Bone (Badlands Hanover-Astraean) in 1:57.2; and trotting colt Son Of Scot (Angus Hall-Sun Beacon) in 2:08.3.
To view Saturday's complete qualifying results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.